Northwest NEWS

January 7, 2002

Cedarcrest Senior Project presentations set for January 18

As the school year continues to unfold, so does the progress of the students taking the Cedarcrest Senior Project/Pacific Rim class. Students have created their posters; a visual aide that serves several purposes. They are an introduction to each student's topic and provide an attention grabbing focal point during the students' presentations. The posters are one of the most creative aspects of the Senior Project. Each student customizes their poster to reflect their own individual flair and taste, and then tailors it to their specific topic.
Three-dimensional aspects are encouraged with students' names and topic themes as requirements. The posters are currently being displayed in the Cedarcrest Library. All are encouraged to stop in and see the wealth of creativity, diversity of topics and incredible hard work that the students have produced.
Currently, students are working on their English paper portion of the project. In a way, this part is the heart of the Senior Project. In English class, with the full support and guidance of the English teachers, students take the research done on their topic and organize it to support the thesis of their paper. At the same time, students are busy working on the product portfolio portion of the Senior Project.
On Friday, Jan. 18, the students will be giving presentations of their final projects. This is the finale and culmination of everything they have worked on the entire semester during Senior Project. The presentations are done in front of a panel of five to six adults made up of school staff and community members.
Students get an allotted time frame of 8-12 minutes to present their topic. Using their poster and other visual aides, they explain their paper and describe their product. When this time is up, the panel members ask questions of the students. They critique their knowledge of the topic and the student's overall performance.
Introducing themselves to the panel members, maintaining eye contact, staying within the time allotment and displaying confidence in their acquired experience as it relates to their project are all evaluated. The end result is a student who has gained valuable new skills in putting together and presenting a completed project, skills that prepare them for the world outside high school.
Serving on one of the Senior Project panels is open to any community member who is interested. It is a very rewarding and enjoyable experience watching these young people shine in this venue. Serving on a panel is also a remarkable process to witness the growth these students realize and the level of achievement they attain. Anyone interested in serving on one of the Senior Project panels can contact Gina Vigna, Senior Project Coordinator, at (425) 844-4800.